


Their Pain

by Nekhs



Category: StarCraft
Genre: Angst, Ariel Hanson - Freeform, B Canon, Dark, FF.net, Gen, Hive Mind, I guess it's because, Manual Import, Oneshot, Schrödinger's Character, Short, Wings of Liberty, Zerg Ariel, how does Ariel not even get her own character tag, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 02:08:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6884923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekhs/pseuds/Nekhs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She trusted him, and he betrayed her. In her desperate fury, Ariel dooms humanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Their Pain

 

Doctor Ariel Hanson was a telepath.

Not much of one, of course, but a telepath.

That was why it had hurt so much, when Jim Raynor said no. It wasn't wholly the injustice of it, that innocent Terrans – her people – should die at _the command_ of the Protoss, though there was that.

" _If there was a cure," he'd said, his voice ringing with conviction, "you would have found it already."_

He had believed his words.

And that crushed what little hope she'd had left.

Years of research, countless lives wasted on its pursuit, and her only hope had given up on her. She imagined she could feel it, even at this distance. The pain of the flames lashing out, charring away all life, any life, Terran or Zerg. She felt like she should be there in person. To witness it. But no.

Jim had left her to research in the lab, despite the futility of it all.

She felt like she should be down there with her people. Hell, she felt like she _was_ down there with her people, joining them in their countless, pointless deaths. She pushed her glasses up on her forehead, her palms into her eyes, too tired to really cry, though she felt the tears well up.

Her decision became clear.

She had already joined her people in mind, in soul … there was only one step remaining, really. She carefully removed her gloves – a minimal safety precaution at best – and then recklessly smashed open the containment unit for one of the Zerg samples.

She would join them in form. And, she thought, the mutations wracking her body, creeping into her very brain, she would live on. _They_ would live on.

In the Swarm.

* * *

The doors slid open.

_The Terran_ entered her lair, spattered with the blood of her children, and They raged. _He_ had killed, and killed again, burning many, taking Their newest home from Them. _He_ had killed even the land itself, and all of Their many bodies. Their connection was thin. They _needed_ each other, and the others were so far away.

_He_ spoke, but _His_ words were lost in Their screams, Their rage.

The doors slid shut.

"Will you enjoy it?" A small, human part of Them remained, and It despaired. "Will you _enjoy_ killing me?" It demanded of _Him._ "Like you killed _my children?"_

It knew Their pain. It raged with Them.

"You're _infested,_ " _The Terran_ replied. "You're dead already."

They leaped at _The Terran_ , and _The Terrans'_ weapon ripped holes in Their body. Its blood sprayed across the room, and They escaped Its body.

They spread.

"Do it! Finish … it …. " It demanded. _The Terran_ complied.

It had served Them well.

Its sacrifice had given Them _Jim Raynor._

Its sacrifice had given Them _The Terran._

"It's done, Matt." _The Terran_ spoke. "I need a drink." And the doors slid slowly open for _Him._


End file.
